23-05-2025
Support group addresses needs of caregivers after impacts of stroke
ALTOONA, Pa. (WTAJ) — UPMC Altoona offers a support group for those who've suffered from a stroke and, according to patients, it makes a positive impact on their road to recovery.
Now organizers feel it's time to extend that support for caregivers.
Randy Parish survived his first stroke in October 2020. He then had a second stroke only a few months later in June 2021. He lives with the lingering effects, but UPMC Altoona's Stroke and Brain Aneurysm Support Group has made his recovery easier.
'We had this educational group on the five stages of grief because you've had a major loss in your life. And some people it's physical loss. And some people, I mean like me, it's a sensory loss,' Parish said.
But for the over 795,000 Americans that have a stroke each year, that loss and the struggle of recovery can also take a toll on loved ones.
'Someone always mowed the lawn. Someone always wrote the checks. And after a stroke, a lot changes. Not only physically, but cognitively as well. So this is something that they never ever had to do,' said Bryanna Shaffer, a physical therapist at UPMC Altoona.
Shaffer supervises the support group. She said they're now looking to expand by offering more support and education for caregivers.
'We've had caregivers go through different situations and the fact that they can meet each other and relate with each other, keep in touch with each other, just spend time with each other — that's the most important part for our stroke patients, their caregivers and the community in general,' Shaffer said.
Joleen Earnest, a physical therapist assistant at UPMC Altoona, has been with the group for 28 years. She said there's long been a need for better caregiver support and demand is growing.
'People are more open now than they used to be, and caregivers are more open with what they're going through as well,' Earnest said.
The group meets at Station Medical Center in Altoona the second Tuesday of every other month at 5 p.m. The next meeting will be July 8 and it's open to everyone — stroke survivors, caregivers or anyone interested in discussion topics.
Outside of regular group meetings, members also enjoy community outings, including going to next Tuesday's Curve Game, where Parish will throw out the first pitch.
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